This very much surprised to the upside with delicious blackberry fruit and a spice-driven complex finish. At 15.2% alcohol, I wouldn’t have expected it to age well but it has. Mature and ready.
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2009 Pahlmeyer Red Blend. This napa red blend was a nice treat at a recent dinner. The initial nose was awash with new oak and red fruit that settled down with some air. The palate offered more red fruits and acid than I expected but played very well with the food. The mid palate was a little thin and watery, which was the only real letdown here. 93
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Ft Wayne Dinner: Did not impress, seemed past its prime, tasted thin in the mid range, tasted with a number of other wines, maybe i missed something. Drank with lamb and filet mignon, would try again.
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Consistent with my prior review in 2019. Luscious ripe fruit, notes of tobacco and leather. This time, with two and a half years of more age, and a two hour decant, the high (15.2%) alcohol was not an issue. Well integrated. Time to drink up. I don't see this improving further.
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Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes Winery: Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Varietal: Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with others. Area/Appellation: California, Napa Valley, Vintage: 2009. Price: $159 Kansas Market Price Color: Incredibly dark Ruby almost purple from below Legs: Somewhat moderate to fast Nose: Black raspberries boysenberries black cherry Sage, mint Cassis, loam,etc. Palate: coated with black berry, black cherry with currant, cassis loam, lush vanilla Finish: rich and lush with dark black fruits some cedar lots of oak secondary characteristics haven’t popped up yet going to have to find some more 2009 for a difficult village this has really ripened and shows well. Comments: Probably the best of three bottles the other one I had about 2015 and doesn’t have a review. This bottle was popped and poured no decanting and shows very well. Stored in a Eurocave since purchased from my store’s inventory. Pairing Suggestions: The usual suspects. Score in terms of Vintage: 93 Score for the Wine: 94+ Value for the Money: Excellent 🤩 Date Tasted: 09/26/2021 Tasted by: ACK
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Fruit forward, felt like a merlot heavy blend... ECP 60th Bday celebration.. decanted for an hour before serving. Good by all means but not typical Pahlmeyer
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Well made, to be sure but I just don’t get the pricing on it. Showing my preference for European taste profiles I guess. Not a great deal of depth. Medium tannins. No much that is especially memorable. Except the bottle. Perhaps the alcohol is a bit too high for my liking. Graphite predominates. Decanted for 90 minutes and had with ribeye. Paired nicely.
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The color was purple from above, light ruby from below with a slight pink rim. On the nose plums, raspberries,menthol, blackberry preserves and oak. On the palate black currants, a very slight tarry streak, some dried black cherry and oak. Finish had a lot of blackberries,chokeberries with just the slightest tarry touch. Four hour slow ox decant.
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This wine is a real heavyweight. The empty bottle alone weighs 1220 grams, and full is 1960 grams. In addition, it has one of the deepest punts I have ever seen. I give the bottle alone 100 points. Hard to compete with that. Oh, the wine. Yes, it is a stunner too. It seemed a little dull on opening, but within 1/2 hour opened up beautifully into a 90 or 91 point delight. On average then, I give the bottle of wine a solid 95.
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This wine needs lots of air time after decanting. There are some very fine solids in the wine. Initially it seemed a bit lacking in fruit with alcohol and tannins dominating. After 3 hours it tasted like a really good cabernet. Red fruits and spice were at play along with the alcohol. Nice finish and mouthfeel. Seems to have more life left in it.
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With an hour or so decant on night #1 the 15% alcohol was still very noticeable almost to the point of being overwhelming. Yes, luscious ripe fruit, notes of tobacco, leather and many of the other attributes highlighted by fellow CT's, however, the alcohol detracted from the experience. At almost 10 years old I was initially concerned about giving this bottle too much air. My concerns were unfounded. I vacuum re-corked and gave it another 2 hours on night #2 and that made all the difference. Black cherries and cassis in almost perfect balance with the fine tannins. Properly stored, this wine has many years left.
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A very impressive wine. Decanted and enjoyed with a grilled ribeye. Medium purple color, thick and full bodied. Pronounced, complex, and developing aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberry, black currant, black cherry, black plum, cigar box, black coffee, cooked meat, anise, and moist loamy soil. Fine grained tannin and acid provide a seamless, well integrated structure. Rich, powerful, elegant, and balanced mouthfeel, followed by a long, mouthwatering finish which will inspire you to want another sip. Lots of life ahead for this.
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Had this as part of a Labor Day meal. It tasted great and proved a fine companion to steaks hot off the grill. Intense dark fruit flavor with great mouth feel. Just a little one dimensional in its evolution from the decanter to the last glass. The intensity and purity was there all along. This wine is drinking beautifully now.
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At 15.7% alcohol, this wine begs for decanting. After a half hour decanted and another 20-30 minutes in large, Bordeaux style glasses, it started to open up. On the nose, brimming with dark fruit such as plum, boysenberry, and blackberry. On the palate, an honest follow-up to the nose. Dark fruit, but a hint of brightness and acidity via cherry/raspberry as well. Mid-palate brought out the earth/minerality/spice and the finish was adequate, with the tannins being more mellowed and integrated than when first tasted a couple of years before. The finish was not as long as one might expect with such a powerfully built wine, especially with the Pahlmeyer name and reputation. Surprisingly, this wine did not stand up well to the prime rib or steaks of the evening, but was more comfortable with appetizers such as fried quail, yellowtail Hamachi, burrata cheese, and a Mexican queso/salsa. Overall, a surprise, but a pleasant wine pairing experience once we changed our expectations and let it shine in its own way.
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Drinking wonderfully right now. Decanted for about 40min. Still some velvety tannins but this added to a nice long finish. Great scents of bitter chocolate, cigar box, blueberry and dark cherries. Good layering of cedar too
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Vinturi aerated and a 2 hour decant. Moderate sediment present. Inky purple with long slow legs. Black cherry on the nose with some white pepper and cigar box. Full bodied with medium+ acidity. Fine tannins, nice smooth mouth feel. Somewhat of a fruit explosion with cherry, plum and cassis. No complexity, slightly drying but in a good way. The shortish finish was surprising and disappointing otherwise this fine wine would've scored higher. Much better now though than the bottle opened in 2016 which left me feeling ripped off. Very poor QPR compared to most 2009 Left Bank's, D'Armailhac or Giscours for example are half the price.....no points deducted for being over-priced. Sipped after dinner and found that the fruit seemed to rapidly fade over a few hours so sadly had to drink up.
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To be honest i was disappointed with this wine. (Possible it was just among too many other better wines or maybe did not did not travel well) Reasonable fruit, but muted. I'll leave it as just flat.
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Bright purple in color and a beautiful nose of wild flowers. Tried on a pnp and this was thin and hollow. Tried after an hour in the decanter and this had fleshod out quite a bit and was significantly better(93 pts then). Decanted for a total of 2 1/2 hours which was a mistake. While it integrated a touch more it lost the immediacy of the fruit.
This was polished with fine tannins. This was not as big as expected and is more of a refined and elegant wine.
While I have moved away from this style of wine toward a big, rich extracted style even if you are a bordeaux blend lover this is a poor QPR. I like the 2009 Cinq Cepage just as well at less than half the price.
Probably a drink now wine with an hour decant.
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Brought to a party, but was able to taste over a couple of hours. Full nose and body. Bright berry fruit and a chocolate raspberry note that stood out. Structured and solid but just a little hot as well.
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Maybe I got a bad bottle. Cork pulled out awfully easy. It does have a wonderful rich, vibrant ripe berry nose. decanted for 2 hours but seems past it's prime already. I admit I am a fan of Washington, big, bold Cabs and blends which this is not. It is subtle and maybe too sophisticated for me to understand. Palate is inviting but falls off quickly. Tannins are heavy but will smooth out if the fruit can last. This is my first Pahlmeyer Prop Red and I like this, but I'm feeling a bit oversold on it so far. Right now an 89 but I may have to NR this as a bad bottle.
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Opaque color. Dark fruits and herb on the nose . Full body. On the young side with tannins still slightly harsh. All the elements are there, but this needs a decant. Long finish.
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A very good wine, showing some evolution already- this bottle anyways and stored like my others, so a bit surprised there- no mistaking its origins, unabashedly a big wine, gobs of delicious fruit, lengthy. No need to wait.
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Blackberries, plums, currants, herbal notes, tea, leather, minerality, hints of cocoa, and some meaty notes. Finishes with some well balanced supple tannins. Good length on the finish. A
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We both liked but as happens almost only with Napa reds my wife had a next day migraine which almost never happens with old world. So I have to drink all the Pahlmeyer myself? This is big yet soft, fruity but not annoying, tooth staining purple. Oddly I find Pahlmyeyer drinks best younger.
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Ahh...that's better. After being disappointed with the last bottle, I thoroughly enjoyed that Pahlmeyer full body - a meal all its own. I do not find that these need lots of decanting time. While there is always lots of tannins to keep this wine going for a lot of years, I could not think it gets better than right now. Enjoy
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Took a chance given the youth and drinking very well. Beginning to decide Pahlmeyer may drink better younger. Big, fruity, dark, complex, good feel on palate, happier with it than July.
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Usually love Pahlmeyers, but felt this was a bit too rough last evening. Could have been my palate or the fact that I'm enjoying the 2011 and 2012 so much that was expecting something better. Will try again
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This was more ready to drink than I was expecting. Bursting fruit (as expected) but in good balance with the structure. Definitely a showhorse but a good one.
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Not ready yet. Drinkable if you must, but better to wait A well made cab as usual from Pahlemeyer Prior experience with this vintage as a 375 showed promise.
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This wine is singing! Decanted for an hour and served. Such great grace and balance. Perfection by itself or with food. Black fruit with hints of cedar and smoke, but completely harmonious. Caught it on a great night.
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Decanted 1 hour. Inky dark. The nose presents very alluring fruity and vanilla aroma. In the beginning, residue sugar makes the wine easier to drink in a good way not a cheap way. On the palate, refined tannins tell me it's time to drink. Dark fruits provide strong flesh of it and refined tannin still support the structure very well. Quite balanced now. Luckily, I opened this wine. It should be drink in recent years. This type of fruit-driven wine should be drank earlier, or the most sexy part won't last too long.
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The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), stoniness and meaty. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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12 hour decant, Blind tasting. A beautiful wine. Refined and elegant. Totally gorgeous !! All aspects of this wine was pure enjoyment. I had a score of 96-97. The only thing holding this wine back was the missing explosive vibrancy found in higher quality vintages. Overall an outstanding wine.
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Night of Cabs with the Shack's: What struck me first about this wine was the nose was completely different from the other wines tasted. This had aromas of vanilla, creme de cassis and blackberry on the nose. It had a few similar qualities to the Kapcsandy Grand Vin but I have never had found this on any other vintage from Pahlmeyer. On the palate, I again got vanilla, raspberry, cherry and another strong element that I wanted to say was brown sugar but it really wasn't that. Ended with another long finish of about 45-50 seconds. This to me, was even more different than the second wine when compared to the first wine. You could tell it was California but it had a certain Bordeaux like quality to it. I guessed a Dominus. Was very surprised when it was a Pahlmeyer since I have had several vintages of this and it was always straight up Napa Cab. Decanted 12 hours.
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From Magnum. Drank while watching my Seahawks head to the Super Bowl for the second time! Made it taste much better. This is really showing beautifully. Tannins are really smoothing out and the parts are starting to integrate nicely. Wonderful from mag.
Needs real time to open up. This is starting to put on weight in the bottle. Cherries, mocha and a mineral streak on the nose. The palate is robust and round with a tight structure. Still very young and demands air.
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Drank for Marty's birthday. Decanted for seven hours. Remarkable. Could see this being even better with time but WOW!! Triple yum here!! Beautiful nose. A little mineral and oak on the front with a black dark fruit finish. Paired superb with beef tenderloin Want more!!
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Excellent bottle of wine. Enjoed at OC with the inlaws. Decanted and let breathe for 3 hours. Nice smooth wine with lots of flavors. Nice nose and color, and bountiful taste of black cherries with a little tobacco. Raves from everyone.
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Drank at Abe & Louis'. Big bold nose w/ super long finish. Upon first taste, some mineral notes on the finish, but got more meaty as time went by. Showing very well now, but will be even better in 10 years.
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Best showing of this bottle yet. It had 18 hours of slow ox just as an experiment. It really allowed all the elements to come together. Previous examples seemed a bit to disjointed but the super extended air worked wonders. The nose was deep and layered with spice, red and blue fruit with a touch of anise. The palate showed wonderful refinement with a long elegant finish. Either let this rest in the bottle or give a massive amount of air for it to show best.
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Sweet, jammy black and red berries, truffles and vanilla scents open to a refined, pure, fresh, elegant, forward Napa Caberent Sauvignon that straddles the ground between uber ripe and traditional.
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Dark fruit, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco, herbal, earthy components, hints of minerality, finishes with some smokiness. Silky tannins. Outstanding
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Mini 09' Napa Cabs (Chez Watson): Open 1 day. Nose is all red fruit profile. All forms of cherries. Tart, stewed, candied, etc. The nose also shows tobacco and thyme. The palate is refined and elegant in a Bordeaux fashion. Silky hidden tannic structure. Very good and needs bottle time to come together. 93-94.
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Tasted and opened at Carpe Diem in Napa. Very young and primary. Game, tobacco, and fresh red fruit on the nose. Sour cherry palate, with young smokey oak. Needs substantial time in the bottle would not open for 1-2 years.
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11/30/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent and drinking perfectly.
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7/4/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
This very much surprised to the upside with delicious blackberry fruit and a spice-driven complex finish. At 15.2% alcohol, I wouldn’t have expected it to age well but it has. Mature and ready.
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6/19/2023 - VinDeVie_1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2009 Pahlmeyer Red Blend. This napa red blend was a nice treat at a recent dinner. The initial nose was awash with new oak and red fruit that settled down with some air. The palate offered more red fruits and acid than I expected but played very well with the food. The mid palate was a little thin and watery, which was the only real letdown here. 93
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4/27/2022 - mwneil wrote: 88 Points
Ft Wayne Dinner: Did not impress, seemed past its prime, tasted thin in the mid range, tasted with a number of other wines, maybe i missed something. Drank with lamb and filet mignon, would try again.
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1/16/2022 - Vailman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with my prior review in 2019. Luscious ripe fruit, notes of tobacco and leather. This time, with two and a half years of more age, and a two hour decant, the high (15.2%) alcohol was not an issue. Well integrated. Time to drink up. I don't see this improving further.
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11/7/2021 - Dmjmd Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just amazing. Inky soft tannins mature fruit and drank well by itself around a fire
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9/27/2021 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
Varietal: Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with others.
Area/Appellation: California, Napa Valley,
Vintage: 2009. Price: $159 Kansas Market Price
Color: Incredibly dark Ruby almost purple from below
Legs: Somewhat moderate to fast
Nose: Black raspberries boysenberries black cherry Sage, mint
Cassis, loam,etc.
Palate: coated with black berry, black cherry with currant, cassis loam, lush vanilla
Finish: rich and lush with dark black fruits some cedar lots of oak secondary characteristics haven’t popped up yet going to have to find some more 2009 for a difficult village this has really ripened and shows well.
Comments: Probably the best of three bottles the other one I had about 2015 and doesn’t have a review. This bottle was popped and poured no decanting and shows very well. Stored in a Eurocave since purchased from my store’s inventory.
Pairing Suggestions: The usual suspects.
Score in terms of Vintage: 93
Score for the Wine: 94+
Value for the Money: Excellent 🤩
Date Tasted: 09/26/2021
Tasted by: ACK
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11/9/2020 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruit forward, felt like a merlot heavy blend... ECP 60th Bday celebration.. decanted for an hour before serving. Good by all means but not typical Pahlmeyer
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10/3/2020 - jdporter3 wrote: 88 Points
Well made, to be sure but I just don’t get the pricing on it. Showing my preference for European taste profiles I guess. Not a great deal of depth. Medium tannins. No much that is especially memorable. Except the bottle. Perhaps the alcohol is a bit too high for my liking. Graphite predominates. Decanted for 90 minutes and had with ribeye. Paired nicely.
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4/18/2020 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The color was purple from above, light ruby from below with a slight pink rim. On the nose plums, raspberries,menthol, blackberry preserves and oak. On the palate black currants, a very slight tarry streak, some dried black cherry and oak. Finish had a lot of blackberries,chokeberries with just the slightest tarry touch. Four hour slow ox decant.
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11/22/2019 - Didman wrote: 95 Points
This wine is a real heavyweight. The empty bottle alone weighs 1220 grams, and full is 1960 grams. In addition, it has one of the deepest punts I have ever seen. I give the bottle alone 100 points. Hard to compete with that. Oh, the wine. Yes, it is a stunner too. It seemed a little dull on opening, but within 1/2 hour opened up beautifully into a 90 or 91 point delight. On average then, I give the bottle of wine a solid 95.
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11/18/2019 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deeper and richer than I recall previous bottles being. Great mouthfeel and character. Loaded with darker red fruits.
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10/19/2019 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine needs lots of air time after decanting. There are some very fine solids in the wine. Initially it seemed a bit lacking in fruit with alcohol and tannins dominating. After 3 hours it tasted like a really good cabernet. Red fruits and spice were at play along with the alcohol. Nice finish and mouthfeel. Seems to have more life left in it.
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7/11/2019 - Niagara wrote: 93 Points
I think the bottle I had in 2013 was just too young. This is really smoothing out and becoming a very nuanced, well-crafted red wine.
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7/4/2019 - Vailman Likes this wine: 93 Points
With an hour or so decant on night #1 the 15% alcohol was still very noticeable almost to the point of being overwhelming. Yes, luscious ripe fruit, notes of tobacco, leather and many of the other attributes highlighted by fellow CT's, however, the alcohol detracted from the experience. At almost 10 years old I was initially concerned about giving this bottle too much air. My concerns were unfounded. I vacuum re-corked and gave it another 2 hours on night #2 and that made all the difference. Black cherries and cassis in almost perfect balance with the fine tannins. Properly stored, this wine has many years left.
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4/23/2019 - cooker315 wrote: 92 Points
Opened up nicely without a lot of time out of the bottle and drinking well now.
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2/27/2019 - RayT Likes this wine: 95 Points
My last bottle of this and by far the best. Not real experienced with Pahlmeyer but I will hold my 2013's for a while.
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1/26/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
So complete - lush without any overripeness or overt sweetness. 15% alcohol, but not noticeable. In a lovely window for classic Napa cab blends.
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12/22/2018 - wmccone54 wrote: 95 Points
A very impressive wine. Decanted and enjoyed with a grilled ribeye. Medium purple color, thick and full bodied. Pronounced, complex, and developing aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberry, black currant, black cherry, black plum, cigar box, black coffee, cooked meat, anise, and moist loamy soil. Fine grained tannin and acid provide a seamless, well integrated structure. Rich, powerful, elegant, and balanced mouthfeel, followed by a long, mouthwatering finish which will inspire you to want another sip. Lots of life ahead for this.
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12/15/2018 - mats13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed an hour minimum decant - which we didn't give it. Nice mouthfeel and dark fruits though a little rough around the edges.
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9/3/2018 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this as part of a Labor Day meal. It tasted great and proved a fine companion to steaks hot off the grill. Intense dark fruit flavor with great mouth feel. Just a little one dimensional in its evolution from the decanter to the last glass. The intensity and purity was there all along. This wine is drinking beautifully now.
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4/1/2018 - WineDoDo wrote: 90 Points
At 15.7% alcohol, this wine begs for decanting. After a half hour decanted and another 20-30 minutes in large, Bordeaux style glasses, it started to open up. On the nose, brimming with dark fruit such as plum, boysenberry, and blackberry. On the palate, an honest follow-up to the nose. Dark fruit, but a hint of brightness and acidity via cherry/raspberry as well. Mid-palate brought out the earth/minerality/spice and the finish was adequate, with the tannins being more mellowed and integrated than when first tasted a couple of years before. The finish was not as long as one might expect with such a powerfully built wine, especially with the Pahlmeyer name and reputation. Surprisingly, this wine did not stand up well to the prime rib or steaks of the evening, but was more comfortable with appetizers such as fried quail, yellowtail Hamachi, burrata cheese, and a Mexican queso/salsa. Overall, a surprise, but a pleasant wine pairing experience once we changed our expectations and let it shine in its own way.
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3/24/2018 - DBunk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking wonderfully right now. Decanted for about 40min. Still some velvety tannins but this added to a nice long finish. Great scents of bitter chocolate, cigar box, blueberry and dark cherries. Good layering of cedar too
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1/29/2018 - boomecho Likes this wine: 89 Points
Vinturi aerated and a 2 hour decant. Moderate sediment present.
Inky purple with long slow legs. Black cherry on the nose with some white pepper and cigar box.
Full bodied with medium+ acidity. Fine tannins, nice smooth mouth feel. Somewhat of a fruit explosion with cherry, plum and cassis. No complexity, slightly drying but in a good way.
The shortish finish was surprising and disappointing otherwise this fine wine would've scored higher. Much better now though than the bottle opened in 2016 which left me feeling ripped off.
Very poor QPR compared to most 2009 Left Bank's, D'Armailhac or Giscours for example are half the price.....no points deducted for being over-priced.
Sipped after dinner and found that the fruit seemed to rapidly fade over a few hours so sadly had to drink up.
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1/23/2018 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black fruit, herbal notes, hints of coccoa, leathery notes. Tannins are well integrated, finishes very smooth. A/A-
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11/25/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty, bright medium red. Nose of deep, ripe plum. Tastes like Christmas - cinnamon, significant cloves, sweet raspberry, vanilla seeetness. Delicious.
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11/16/2017 - Corrie Likes this wine: 92 Points
The bold fruit is starting to mellow, and I will be drinking my remaining bottles now, not waiting any longer
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10/24/2017 - Wine Warrior 1 wrote: 90 Points
To be honest i was disappointed with this wine. (Possible it was just among too many other better wines or maybe did not did not travel well) Reasonable fruit, but muted. I'll leave it as just flat.
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8/25/2017 - JTobin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for a little over an hour. Drinking well now but could probably use another year or so.
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7/16/2017 - RayT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright purple in color and a beautiful nose of wild flowers. Tried on a pnp and this was thin and hollow. Tried after an hour in the decanter and this had fleshod out quite a bit and was significantly better(93 pts then). Decanted for a total of 2 1/2 hours which was a mistake. While it integrated a touch more it lost the immediacy of the fruit.
This was polished with fine tannins. This was not as big as expected and is more of a refined and elegant wine.
While I have moved away from this style of wine toward a big, rich extracted style even if you are a bordeaux blend lover this is a poor QPR. I like the 2009 Cinq Cepage just as well at less than half the price.
Probably a drink now wine with an hour decant.
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6/30/2017 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
Brought to a party, but was able to taste over a couple of hours. Full nose and body. Bright berry fruit and a chocolate raspberry note that stood out. Structured and solid but just a little hot as well.
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4/11/2017 - espesq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clear, dark. Balanced Bordeaux blend.
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12/26/2016 - blash Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking very well. decanted for 3 hours. Great balance and blend of fruit, spice, chocolate and oak. long finish.
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11/18/2016 - Corrie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! Beautiful right now, great balance, silky fruit
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10/16/2016 - MemorialWineFan wrote: 92 Points
Like it better than the 2007 from a few nights ago.
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8/2/2016 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good but a bit disappointing for what it should be. Nice nose but flavors are tight and spare. Medium finish. Maybe a dumb phase? From a 375.
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7/12/2016 - Stevethebeav Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe I got a bad bottle. Cork pulled out awfully easy. It does have a wonderful rich, vibrant ripe berry nose. decanted for 2 hours but seems past it's prime already. I admit I am a fan of Washington, big, bold Cabs and blends which this is not. It is subtle and maybe too sophisticated for me to understand. Palate is inviting but falls off quickly. Tannins are heavy but will smooth out if the fruit can last. This is my first Pahlmeyer Prop Red and I like this, but I'm feeling a bit oversold on it so far. Right now an 89 but I may have to NR this as a bad bottle.
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5/29/2016 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opaque color. Dark fruits and herb on the nose . Full body. On the young side with tannins still slightly harsh. All the elements are there, but this needs a decant. Long finish.
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4/22/2016 - dandydon01 wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding. Opens nicely - becomes better over the next hour.
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3/13/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very good wine, showing some evolution already- this bottle anyways and stored like my others, so a bit surprised there- no mistaking its origins, unabashedly a big wine, gobs of delicious fruit, lengthy. No need to wait.
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2/14/2016 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hands down one of the best from 2009, Decanted.
Blackberries, plums, currants, herbal notes, tea, leather, minerality, hints of cocoa, and some meaty notes. Finishes with some well balanced supple tannins. Good length on the finish. A
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2/13/2016 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well, smooth and refined. Integrated tannins.
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2/9/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
We both liked but as happens almost only with Napa reds my wife had a next day migraine which almost never happens with old world. So I have to drink all the Pahlmeyer myself? This is big yet soft, fruity but not annoying, tooth staining purple. Oddly I find Pahlmyeyer drinks best younger.
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1/31/2016 - philweird wrote: 93 Points
Ahh...that's better. After being disappointed with the last bottle, I thoroughly enjoyed that Pahlmeyer full body - a meal all its own. I do not find that these need lots of decanting time. While there is always lots of tannins to keep this wine going for a lot of years, I could not think it gets better than right now. Enjoy
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12/7/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took a chance given the youth and drinking very well. Beginning to decide Pahlmeyer may drink better younger. Big, fruity, dark, complex, good feel on palate, happier with it than July.
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10/12/2015 - philweird wrote: 90 Points
Usually love Pahlmeyers, but felt this was a bit too rough last evening. Could have been my palate or the fact that I'm enjoying the 2011 and 2012 so much that was expecting something better. Will try again
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9/18/2015 - JGinMO wrote: 94 Points
This was more ready to drink than I was expecting. Bursting fruit (as expected) but in good balance with the structure. Definitely a showhorse but a good one.
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9/6/2015 - 1964vintage wrote: 94 Points
From magnum. 2+ hour decant. Outstanding. Dark, rich fruit with excellent balance. Better with each passing glass throughout the night.
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8/28/2015 - RayT Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP at Fig and Olive.Very nice bottle that got better with a little time.
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7/24/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not ready yet. Drinkable if you must, but better to wait
A well made cab as usual from Pahlemeyer
Prior experience with this vintage as a 375 showed promise.
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4/26/2015 - killer carrot wrote: 95 Points
Phenomenal
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2/28/2015 - mactheknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is singing! Decanted for an hour and served. Such great grace and balance. Perfection by itself or with food. Black fruit with hints of cedar and smoke, but completely harmonious. Caught it on a great night.
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2/13/2015 - RyanWu wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Inky dark. The nose presents very alluring fruity and vanilla aroma. In the beginning, residue sugar makes the wine easier to drink in a good way not a cheap way. On the palate, refined tannins tell me it's time to drink. Dark fruits provide strong flesh of it and refined tannin still support the structure very well. Quite balanced now. Luckily, I opened this wine. It should be drink in recent years. This type of fruit-driven wine should be drank earlier, or the most sexy part won't last too long.
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5/19/2014 - thetong wrote: 95 Points
2014 Nantucket Food and Wine Festival:
Huge nose jumped out of glass when poured. Full body, approachable, black fruit dominant. Long finish follows lush mouthful. Excellent.
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4/11/2014 - DinoG Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), stoniness and meaty. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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3/17/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Great red and black fruit on the nose. Sweet, forward and ripe. A bit chalky on the palate. Medium finish.
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2/2/2014 - Ooahman Likes this wine: 96 Points
12 hour decant, Blind tasting. A beautiful wine. Refined and elegant. Totally gorgeous !! All aspects of this wine was pure enjoyment. I had a score of 96-97. The only thing holding this wine back was the missing explosive vibrancy found in higher quality vintages. Overall an outstanding wine.
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2/1/2014 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Night of Cabs with the Shack's: What struck me first about this wine was the nose was completely different from the other wines tasted. This had aromas of vanilla, creme de cassis and blackberry on the nose. It had a few similar qualities to the Kapcsandy Grand Vin but I have never had found this on any other vintage from Pahlmeyer. On the palate, I again got vanilla, raspberry, cherry and another strong element that I wanted to say was brown sugar but it really wasn't that. Ended with another long finish of about 45-50 seconds. This to me, was even more different than the second wine when compared to the first wine. You could tell it was California but it had a certain Bordeaux like quality to it. I guessed a Dominus. Was very surprised when it was a Pahlmeyer since I have had several vintages of this and it was always straight up Napa Cab. Decanted 12 hours.
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1/19/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 95 Points
From Magnum. Drank while watching my Seahawks head to the Super Bowl for the second time! Made it taste much better. This is really showing beautifully. Tannins are really smoothing out and the parts are starting to integrate nicely. Wonderful from mag.
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11/28/2013 - Not404 wrote: 92 Points
Opening well now
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11/24/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs real time to open up. This is starting to put on weight in the bottle. Cherries, mocha and a mineral streak on the nose. The palate is robust and round with a tight structure. Still very young and demands air.
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11/19/2013 - Martnmac wrote: 93 Points
Drank for Marty's birthday. Decanted for seven hours. Remarkable. Could see this being even better with time but WOW!! Triple yum here!! Beautiful nose. A little mineral and oak on the front with a black dark fruit finish. Paired superb with beef tenderloin Want more!!
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11/6/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young but ok. Probably benefitted from being a 375. Will wait a bit on the rest but clearly another wonderful wine from Pahlmeyer.
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10/29/2013 - Double-A wrote: 85 Points
Dark cherry and plum nose. Ripe, warming, balanced palate. Fair fruit flavours, but lacing in complexity and interest.
3/5
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10/5/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed as a 375. Finished half let the other wait 48h. Expected baby vinegar. Instead intact and rewarding. Remarkable.
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8/28/2013 - pato84 wrote: 96 Points
- It's balanced with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
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7/20/2013 - cultdrinker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Enjoed at OC with the inlaws. Decanted and let breathe for 3 hours. Nice smooth wine with lots of flavors. Nice nose and color, and bountiful taste of black cherries with a little tobacco. Raves from everyone.
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6/27/2013 - garyty wrote: 92 Points
Very good yet young. Saving my other five bottles for a few years.
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6/14/2013 - JR_Boston wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Abe & Louis'. Big bold nose w/ super long finish. Upon first taste, some mineral notes on the finish, but got more meaty as time went by. Showing very well now, but will be even better in 10 years.
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5/12/2013 - Niagara wrote: 91 Points
I liked the '08 better. This is a little thinner and simpler, I thought.
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5/7/2013 - WDSteers wrote: 95 Points
Tar, tobacco, smoke notes on top of black cherry. Long finish
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4/8/2013 - JarrodK wrote:
Was way to early to drink. I've had the 2005 as well and that one is still too early to drink too.
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3/24/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best showing of this bottle yet. It had 18 hours of slow ox just as an experiment. It really allowed all the elements to come together. Previous examples seemed a bit to disjointed but the super extended air worked wonders. The nose was deep and layered with spice, red and blue fruit with a touch of anise. The palate showed wonderful refinement with a long elegant finish. Either let this rest in the bottle or give a massive amount of air for it to show best.
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3/4/2013 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful Nose; Chocolate element
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3/4/2013 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Very nice; Straightforward Napa that works
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10/23/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Sweet, jammy black and red berries, truffles and vanilla scents open to a refined, pure, fresh, elegant, forward Napa Caberent Sauvignon that straddles the ground between uber ripe and traditional.
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9/22/2012 - BigBoy_Sonoma wrote: 95 Points
Dark fruit, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco, herbal, earthy components, hints of minerality, finishes with some smokiness. Silky tannins. Outstanding
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9/6/2012 - fdub wrote: 93 Points
Mini 09' Napa Cabs (Chez Watson): Open 1 day. Nose is all red fruit profile. All forms of cherries. Tart, stewed, candied, etc. The nose also shows tobacco and thyme. The palate is refined and elegant in a Bordeaux fashion. Silky hidden tannic structure. Very good and needs bottle time to come together. 93-94.
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8/10/2012 - fdub wrote: 94 Points
Tasted and opened at Carpe Diem in Napa. Very young and primary. Game, tobacco, and fresh red fruit on the nose. Sour cherry palate, with young smokey oak. Needs substantial time in the bottle would not open for 1-2 years.
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